The Cathach
by Missie2
Summary: Fantasy set in medievil / celtic europe. Duo Maxwell wanders isolated from society until he finds a new friend and a purpose... 3+4 and 1+2 yaoi, rated R for rape, lemon later.
1. Default Chapter

(Must find title)  
  
  
  
Missie here. This is my second attempt at a fanfiction, and the first chapter in what I hope will be a   
continually growing epic. Can't think of a title right now, if anyone has any suggestions please e-mail me at   
ellenly@eircom.net, same goes for criticisms and ideas.  
  
Few notes: 3+4 yaoi, 1+2 and I haven't decided what to do with Wufei yet. Set during medieval times, AU   
and complete fantasy. Alicorns are Unicorns with wings, but most of the information in this fic about them   
is pure visual speculation on my part. (I'm an illustrator masquerading as a writer.) The Tuatha De Danann   
are a legendary faery clan from Irish mythology. Enough of my bantering, on with the fic!  
  
Warnings: Yaoi, will be explicit, might add lemon later, rape attempt, bestiality(sort of, will explain   
later.)that's it, I think.  
  
P.S. I don't own Gundam Wing, maybe someday I will, but for now they are pawns in my little game!  
  
  
  
  
  
Duo Maxwell crashed through the forest canopy, leaving a trail of colorful language in his wake. He had   
been walking through this overgrown ditch for three days, and there was still no sign of a clearing.  
  
"You've really dug yourself into a nice little pit, here, buddy. You just had to show off, didn't you?"  
He shuddered, remembering the lecherous stares those men had given him, the catcalls still ringing loudly   
in his ears. Now he was stuck in this stupid forest, miles from civilization, because he couldn't keep his   
face hidden.  
  
Frustrated by the turn of events, and being surrounded by nothing but green, green and more stinking   
GREEN, he screamed into the trees.  
  
"What's with all the GREEN? AND IT'S TOO DAMN QUIET!!!!!!!"  
  
As if it had heard him, the forest canopy seemed to recede, and Duo heard the rush of a river ahead of him.   
He was so tired and thirsty he didn't think that this was even a little unusual.  
  
He shortly arrived at the river, and removed the hood that cast a shadow over his beautiful face. The mark   
on his forehead reacted to exposure to the sunlight after so long in the dark, and lit up the small, dim   
clearing. It closely resembled the letter X, but was surrounded by interlacing and dots of color. After   
quenching his thirst, he opened his small backpack and pulled out the food he had managed to acquire   
before he was forced to leave the last city. And finally, he fell into a peaceful slumber.  
  
  
  
Duo woke up close to midnight, disturbed by sounds of splashing coming from the river. Rubbing his tired   
violet eyes, he decided to investigate. Before he did, he tucked his long braid if chestnut hair into his hood   
and made sure that his face was well hidden. He then proceeded to stalk whatever was at the river from the   
bushes. In the darkness, he could make out the figure of something that resembled a horse, or maybe a deer.  
The canopy had receded a little away from the clearing, and suddenly the clouds in the night sky dissipated   
and a full moon cast a silver light into the forest. The figure in the river was bathed in an eerie white glow.   
Duo's half-asleep eyes snapped fully opened when he realized what he was looking at.  
  
A Unicorn.  
  
  
Possibly the only immortal besides Duo himself left on earth, and Duo had come across it by mistake. He   
tried to get a better look, and accidentally stepped on a twig under his foot, which caused a loud snap to   
reverberate around the clearing. The Unicorn's sensitive ears picked up the noise, and it wheeled around to   
point its horn in Duo's general direction. It's huge turquoise eyes flashed dangerously, and its mane   
fluttered like a flag in the breeze that seemed to have come from nowhere. However, Duo noted, it looked   
more like it was going to bolt than stay and fight. Its body resembled that of an antelope rather than a horse,   
slender and obviously built for speed. Duo tetantively prepared to approach the animal, only to find that as   
soon as he stepped out of the foliage, it had fled.  
  
" Oh, well" Duo sighed " if I survive this war, maybe I can come back and look for it." He shrugged   
nonchalantly, but was fighting back tears of frustration. " The only other immortal left on earth, and I   
scared it away." He thought angrily. He had nearly found a creature that might not treat him with fear, or   
scorn. Even the forest animals kept their distance." Might as well keep walking, I'll never get back to sleep   
now." So he left the deserted clearing, and the canopy surrounded the river again.  
  
  
  
Duo continued crashing through the thick forest, trailing his three-foot long braid behind him. He stopped   
suddenly when he heard a faint rustling ahead of him, soon followed by heavy thumps pounding the forest   
floor. Looking to the direction of the sounds, he saw a flash of silver and gold pass him, and ducked to   
avoid a shredded log thrown towards him. Then, the noises stopped, and a feeling of unease washed over   
Duo. He followed the trail of overturned earth and broken trees to a small gully, where he heard several   
growls and snorts, accompanied by a frightened whinny.  
  
The Unicorn he had seen last night was surrounded by several hairy creatures, which looked part wolf, part   
baboon. Their enormous heads were mostly mouth, huge maws with six rows of jagged yellow fangs,   
bright red eyes glowed demonically through matted black fur, and this terrible visage was connected to a   
hunched, heavily muscled back, which then extended into powerful haunches. But the really horrible   
features of these creatures were their arms, huge bands of muscle wrapped in filthy dark fur, as long as the   
entire body and tipped with claws as long as Duo's braid. They stood about sixteen feet altogether, and   
dwarfed the Unicorn, who could only be about six feet if it stood on its hind legs. Two of the creatures had   
restrained its body, and a third hovered around its neck, as if ready to sink its teeth in if the Unicorn moved.  
  
Duo racked his brain, wondering what these animals wanted with the Unicorn. Did they want to eat it? No,   
they would have done it by now if they did. Did they want to take it prisoner? Probably not. Could it have   
something to do with its horn? No, they hadn't even glanced at it. He tried to distinguish what they wanted   
by looking into the eyes of the obvious leader, and saw reflected in those terrible eyes something he had   
come to recognize, because it was something he himself had encountered in every city and town he had   
journeyed to.  
  
Lust.  
  
Duo watched with growing fury as the two creatures restraining the Unicorn forced its delicate white   
haunches apart, and the leader rose to his full height, unsheathing a huge erection. The Unicorn stood very   
still and clenched its eyes shut.  
  
Duo reached into his backpack and removed a small dagger, and after a quick incantation, hurled it into the   
eye of the monster. The dagger withdrew itself and flew back into Duo's hand. The creature howled in pain   
and Duo felt the surprised stares of eleven pairs of red eyes and one pair of blue. The injured animal lashed   
out with its thick arm and caught Duo's leg before he could react. This time he hurled the dagger at its neck   
and severed its neck neatly. But before he could recover his weapon, the other creatures surrounded him,   
and he watched helplessly as one of them leaped towards him.  
  
The despair in Duo's amethyst eyes change to surprise when the animal froze in mid-air, and flew   
backwards to crash into the side of the gully. A flash of gold and white appeared beside him, and before he   
knew it he was clutching the Unicorn's silver -streaked golden mane as the animal hurtled with amazing   
speed through the forest. After a few minutes, it slowed its pace down to a trot, then stopped and let Duo   
down from its back.  
  
Duo barely registered the animal turning concerned aquamarine eyes towards him as he gave into the   
fatigue that consumed him.   
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing, and I have lost all hope that I will ever own it.

Part 2 is up, let's hope it's going somewhere this time.

Duo regained consciousness and groggily glanced at his surroundings. Stalactites hung threateningly over his head, dripping water onto his face.

"A cave", he thought "makes a nice change from all that green." For a moment, he tried to remember how he got there, and the previous day's events came back to him in an instant.

"The unicorn!" Duo glanced around frantically, but the cave was empty. Sighing, he picked up his backpack, which was lying nearby, and exited the cave.

Too engrossed in his thoughts to notice something moving behind him, Duo was suddenly caught outside the cave by his braid, and brought face to face with a hulking giant of a man, who looked him up and down with a cruel smile on his face.

"Well, well, well," the man chortled to his companions, still on horseback, " seems I caught us a cute little bunny for tonight's supper!" The other men, from the looks of it soldiers on their way to Tara, guffawed as Duo tried to struggle free, shouting curses at them the whole time. The man holding him struck him hard across the skull, rendering him unconscious, then swung him across his lap on the horse and the group departed towards a nearby campground.

Clear turquoise eyes closely monitored the entire exchange, and the group failed to notice that they were being followed.

Duo struggled against the chains that held him close to a huge oak tree, trying not to listen to those men talking about him in the threadbare tent. Occasionally, he caught fragments of the conversations.

" He'll fetch us a fine price back in Tara. Imagine what the King would say if we brought him this kind of prize."

" No, we have to destroy it. It has the mark, and if there's one, there'll be others."

" Can't we have a little fun with him first?"

" IT is the last of it's kind, we can collect a bounty if we kill it quickly."

"No, we should bring it back alive. His majesty will know what to do with it."

"Captain…"

"Yes, yes, go ahead. But make sure you don't get carried away and kill him, not yet anyway."

Duo fought back a wave of nausea and leaned back in grim acceptance of what was to come. Then his sharp violet eyes caught a flash of silver briefly shining through the canopy. Before his mind could register what he had just seen, the Unicorn was once again standing beside him. It leaned over and touched the symbol on his forehead, and a soft voice spoke to him in his head.

/_When I release you, climb onto my back. /_

Duo looked up in surprise, and caught the animal's eye. He nodded softly.

The Unicorn then lowered its horn to the lock on Duo's chains and cracked it open, and the chains clattered noisily. The men inside the tent made to go out and investigate. Panicked, Duo grabbed the Unicorn's mane and swung himself onto its back. The soldiers tore back the tent cloth, but all they could see were the broken chains lying on the ground and a receding streak of silver, gold and dark brown disappearing into the forest.

Shakily, Duo washed the wounds inflicted by the chains on his wrists. The Unicorn approached him.

__

/Do you want me to heal those for you?/

"Um, sure, okay."

__

/Why did you leave the cave? You were safer there./

" I have places to go. Besides, where did you go?"

__

/To find food. I didn't think you'd wake up before I got back./

"Why did you help me?"

__

/Because yesterday you helped me. Besides, I figure the world's last two immortals should stick together./

"Guess you're right. I'm Duo Maxwell, last surviving member of the Tuatha De Danann, direct descendent of Cuchulainn and so hungry right now that the clump of nettles over there are starting to look good." Soft laughter filled Duo's head.

__

/I'm Quatre. I have a lot, over other names too, but I doubt that you could pronounce them. And I'll get us some food in a minute./

Quatre returned half an hour later with Duo's rugsack between his teeth, full of fruit and vegetables. Duo immediately dug in, occasionally pausing to tell Quatre about himself.

" I was raised in an abandoned monastery with two other faeries, like me, but older. I can't really remember them, but I know that one was named Aine, and she was killed when I was two years old. The other one was killed when the High King's army ransacked the monastery, but I can't remember much about him. After that I just took to wandering, living off my magic and whatever else I could find. But looking like this, you can imagine how difficult it was to get in and out of anywhere alive and intact, y'know?"

Quatre nodded. Being an immortal with a human form created problems for the creatures who had tried to live amongst humans. Their supernatural birthright made them inhumanly beautiful, and so the objects of many mortals perverted fantasies. And Duo was no exception

His long chestnut colored hair was now loose, and draped dramatically across his slender, well-muscled form. His eyes were an unusual shade of purple and seemed to crackle with energy. These features alone would make anyone suspicious of his mortality, even before they recognized the mark of the eighth generation member of the Tuatha De Danann

__

/ Where were you travelling to?/

" I was going to Inis Gloire to join the Fianna."

__

/ Why?/

" Revenge. About a year ago, the High King of Tara attacked a monastery where some old relics were being kept. I was living there at the time, with the abbot and his sister, a nun who studied the old magic. She taught me to use my powers from the old scripts the king was after."

Duo took a deep breath, as old memories plagued his mind.

" I was out practicing incantations in the forest when the army raided the monastery. After they got the relics, they barricaded the church with everyone inside and burned them alive. I've been wandering ever since, but now I want to join the Fianna and see Treize get what's coming to him.

__

/ Treize? I thought the High King's name was Conor./

"No, Treize is Conor's son. He's ruled for five years."

__

/ _Oh. I've lost track of time. I haven't used my human body for a while. /_

" You have a human body?"

__

/ Yes, but like I said, I don't use it much. It makes me easier to catch./

" I guess that makes sense."

__

/How are you going to make people believe that you're human?/

" I learned an incantation to disguise myself from Sister Helen. It's pretty effective, but I can't lose concentration when I'm using it, otherwise it switches itself off."

__

/ Do you have a horse?/

" No, why?"

__

/ I heard that soldiers going to Inis Gloire have to provide their own horses./

" WHAT? Those rotten cheap…………."

Duo let loose a string of extremely foul language and the forest seemed to shrink away from him. Quatre quickly recovered from shock and tried to calm him down.

__

/ I think I can get you a horse./

" Really? How?"

/ _You can use me./_

" Stop kidding around. It's not funny."

__

/ I'm serious. I can disguise my horn. Saddle me up and no one will know the difference./

" Why would you want to fight?"

__

/ I don't. I want to help you./

" Are you crazy?'

__

/ No, just fiercely loyal. We're friends now, aren't we?/

" Well, yeah, but…."

__

/ Then I'm sticking with you. We should get some sleep now, and we can leave for Inis Gloire in the morning./

" Okay. Goodnight."

__

/ Goodnight./

" Quatre?'

__

/ Yes?/

" Thanks."

__

/ Don't mention it./


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Missie here again. Still can't think of a name so I'm half-heartedly thinking of naming it The Tain, although I've never read The Tain so I don't know what a Tain is. Little more Duo and Quatre bonding here, background for the fic, and the others make their appearance in the next chapter. Thank you everyone who reviewed the first chapter, it's done my fragile ego no end of good.

Duo and Quatre set out for Inis Gloire the next morning, with Duo riding on Quatre's back. Although he had readily agreed to the Unicorn's help, he couldn't stop worrying about how they would pull off their little ruse. Even with his horn cloaked invisibly by magic, Quatre didn't look like any horse Duo had ever seen. He was too slender, too small and his eyes looked distinctly human. They were huge and vivid, surrounded by long, dark eyelashes and it seemed that whenever Duo tried to look into them, They would change color. Even his mane was strange. It changed color the same way his eyes did, occasionally blond, gold, silver, white and sometimes even very light blue. 

" Oh, well,' thought Duo " I'll worry about it when we get to Inis Gloire." He was enjoying the Unicorn's company too much to ask him to leave.

At about noon, they had reached a mountain range called Sleibh Mis, which they had to cross to get to Inis Gloire. Duo groaned and buried his head in Quatre's mane.

" It'll take us DAYS to cross that stupid mountain!"

__

/ Calm down, Duo. It'll only take me a few hours./

" You're fast, but not THAT fast."

Suddenly, Two enormous white feathered wings appeared out of nowhere on either side of Duo. He nearly fainted.

" YOU'VE GOT WINGS?"

__

/ Yes, of course./

" B-but you're a Unicorn."

__

/ No, I'm an Alicorn. I have wings and a horn./

" Why didn't you use them before?"

__

/ I don't need them in the forest. I keep them disguised so I can run faster./

Quatre stretched out his wings to their full width, spanning ten feet each, and launched himself into the air. He tilted at an almost vertical angle, causing Duo to panic and squeeze the animal's long neck. After a while, they passed the peak of Sleibh Mis and Quatre began to descend. Duo breathed a sigh of relief and loosened his stranglehold on Quatre's neck. Only then did he notice that the Alicorn's eyes were scanning the mountain's face, the lowlands and even the sky nervously.

They landed at the foot of a cliff, near a small cave. Duo ran inside and began to set up camp. Quatre stayed outside momentarily, still searching the sky suspiciously, then joined Duo inside the cave.

" My entire life flashed in front of my eyes. It was way too short!"

__

/ But I got you here safely and quickly, didn't I?/

" Hey, Quatre, can you speak normally or do you always have to talk to me in my head?"

__

/ How many talking horses do you know?/

" It's kind of freaky hearing you talk in my mind."

__

/ Because you can't tell my voice from the other voices in your head?/

" Haw haw. You know what I mean."

__

/ I can change to my human form if you want, but can I borrow some clothes? My human body is always cold, for some reason./

" Sure." 

Duo rummaged around in his backpack until he pulled out a spare overshirt and breeches, and some old cloth boots. Quatre's horn reappeared and filled the small cave with light. The Alicorn reared to its full height, diminished in size and then changed shape. Duo had to shield his eyes from the blinding light, and when he opened them his jaw dropped.

A small, extremely beautiful blonde boy stood completely naked in front of him. The boy shivered.

" Duo, it's freezing in here. Could you hand me that shirt?"

Duo gulped and handed him the clothes. He hadn't seen another immortal in so long that he'd forgotten just how beautiful they were. Quatre was a lot smaller than him, almost girlishly slender and even his skin was the same pure white that it was in the Alicorn form. His short, slightly tousled blonde hair changed colour like his mane, from white to gold to silver and white again. He finished dressing and sat down near the fire that Duo had prepared.

" Are you okay, Duo? You look a little pale."

" Me? Yeah, I-I'm fine."

Duo recovered from his initial shock and remembered that he had wanted to ask Quatre a few things.

" Why didn't you tell me you had wings? We could've been out of that forest in minutes."

" I don't fly much. Whenever I used to fly, I was attacked by griffons."

"Where?"

" By the coast. I used to live there, but after I was attacked the first time, they started hunting me, so I had to leave."

" And you moved to the forest?'

" No. I lived with humans as a human myself for a while, but they turned out to be more dangerous than the griffons. I started living in the forest about six years ago, and stayed there because the demons in the forest I could outrun."

"What were those things, anyway?"

" They call themselves Kai. I don't call them anything, I just avoid them. Normally I can escape them easily, but that day they outnumbered me and set a trap."

" What did they want with you?'

" Couldn't you guess?"

" Sorry."

" Don't be. It was partly my own fault for not paying attention to my surroundings. They've been chasing me since I moved to the forest, and my magic doesn't faze them too much."

" I heard from stories that Sister Helen that your kind were really powerful."

" Our powers were all connected to other Alicorns and Unicorns. When one died, we all lost some power. Now they're all gone, so I'm an easy target for all kinds of evil spirits. But don't worry, they won't attack once we reach Inis Gloire. They tend to keep some distance between themselves and humans."

" How much further is it?"

" If we leave at dawn and I gallop all day, we'll be there by sunset tomorrow."

" Great. I should let you get some shut-eye then."

Duo pulled a threadbare old blanket out of his bag, and wondered how he'd be able to share it with Quatre. Turning his head in the other boy's direction, he smiled. Quatre was already asleep, curled up in the clothes Duo had lent him. They were too big, and provided him with more warmth than the blanket could have. Duo rolled it up and used it as a pillow instead.

They left the cave at dawn, shortly after Duo had torn his makeshift pillow into strips and fashioned a crude bridle to convince people that Quatre was a horse, and also so he could direct the animal without talking to him and looking like a madman.

Inis Gloire was alive with people, natives, merchants and thousands of soldiers who wished to join the Fianna. They were all directed towards Mhac Gaoithe, the castle in the centre of the town. Stopping briefly outside the huge wrought iron portcullis, Duo gulped slightly, made sure that his incantation had thoroughly disguised him, then led Quatre through the courtyard.


	4. Chapter 4

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 4  
  
  
Missie here again. I've finally decided on a title for this fic. THE CATHACH!!! It's Irish for battle script. Some background history to this fic included, and the others finally appear!!!!  
  
Usual warnings, you know I don't own Gundam Wing and probably don't care.  
  
  
  
  
  
The centre of all trade, commerce and the home of the ruler of Europe at this time was Tara Hill. The High King was Treize Kushrenada, a deeply religious man who wanted to bring the Christian faith to the pagan nations of Europe. Witnessing the Wild magic already present in these lands, he made the decision to destroy all precences that threatened his initiation of Celtic Europe into the Christian Church.  
  
When an immortal creature is left alone to live in peace, it will almost always do so, and live until the end of time. However, they can be destroyed if caught at a disadvantage, and so many immortals lived as recluses. Treize saw the immortals as an affront against God and His teachings, and ordered that they be hunted and wiped out. Scripts containing ancient incantations and legends were seized and burned, and all traces of the ancient magic wiped out. For all intensive purposes, Treize's plan was successful.  
  
The Fianna had been an ancient society of the greatest soldiers the world had ever known, set up to protect the High King. However, the remaining members of this elite group had grown old under the leadership of Fionn Mac Cumhail and under the rule of Conchobhar Mac Nessa, and disagreed with their new king's strict fundamentalist views. The last five members moved to Inis Gloire to revitalize the Fianna and challenge Treize's rule. There was fierce competition for membership amongst young men who wanted to rebel against the High King. A series of grueling tests were set up to determine who could become a member, so most who applied were soon eliminated.  
  
The new leader of the Finn was Heero Yuy, who had literally been stolen from a doorstep by J, one of the original Fenians. To hide their true identities, the old Fenians used only initials to identify each other. Heero had been raised by these men and trained to take over leadership of the Fianna, but most of his upbringing was mainly accredited to J. Having started an intense training regiment from an early age, Heero was perfect for the leadership of the Fianna.  
  
So far, the new branch of the Fianna had only two established members besides Heero. Trowa Barton had been chosen after completing all the tests successfully and showing excellent skills as a spy. Trowa had a gift, given to him by a druid at the age of five. He was able to hear animals speak and talk to them. This proved useful in the tests designed to test his tracking and spying skills, when he had simply asked some birds for information. He didn't associate with humans when he could avoid it, another thing that made him a desirable candidate. The old Fenians figured that he wouldn't form any close connections that would distract him from his work.  
  
Wufei Chang was the third confirmed member, a traveler from the east who came with a reputation. It was a popular rumor that he had killed a dragon in China and eaten its skin to turn its strength into his own strength. It was probably true, because Wufei fought like a demon and seemed indestructible. He was the only one besides Heero and Trowa who had passed all the tests.  
  
More and more young men had applied for positions in this elite group, and most left after the first round of tests. The original Fenians had just about given up finding more members, and were contemplating attacking Treize with just the three outstanding new Fenians, and the reserves of merely adequate soldiers.  
  
  
J scrutinized the new wave of applicants with an air of resignation. The other elderly Fenians and Heero, Trowa and Wufei stood behind him. He proceeded to cross-examine each new applicant.  
  
Heero's eyes went to a young man in the front lines, standing with his horse awaiting J's evaluation. He was unusual looking, with bright violet eyes and a braid of thick chestnut hair that must have been three feet long. As attractive as he was, it wasn't his looks that drew Heero's gaze. He had a mysterious air about him that Heero couldn't shrug off. With great effort, he concentrated on J, who had reached the braided boy and was questioning him.  
  
" Name?'  
  
" Duo Maxwell, sir."  
  
" Age?"  
  
" Fifteen, sir."  
  
" Good age. You think you have what it takes to be a Fenian, boy?"  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
" Any special skills?"  
  
" Never miss a target sir."  
  
" We'll see. This your horse?"  
  
If Duo looked strange, his horse looked stranger. It was a pure white color that would put Heero's white stallion, Wing, to shame. But it looked more like a deer than a horse.  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
" Name?'  
  
" Quatre, sir."  
  
" Four? "  
  
" Fourth horse I've ever had, sir."  
  
" Right. Breed?"  
  
" Well, uh, ..... Appaloosa, sir."  
  
Trowa heard a voice suddenly, but couldn't determine where it was coming from.  
  
/Duo! Appaloosas are multi colored!/  
  
" He doesn't look like an Appaloosa."  
  
" Well he's a half-breed, sir."  
  
" What's the other half? Deer?"  
  
" Um.."  
/ Arabian./  
  
" Arabian, sir."  
  
" Okay. Report to the pastures outside the castle for evaluation tomorrow at dawn."  
  
" Yes sir."  
  
The group disbanded to the dining halls or stables shortly after. Trowa continued to stare in the direction of Duo and his horse.  
  
" I know I heard that horse talk, but how could Duo have heard him?  
  



	5. Chapter 5

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 5  
  
Missie here again. I'm eternally grateful for all the feedback I've been getting, and I've found a fresh wave of inspiration for this fic. Usual warnings apply, I'm dreading writing the lemon later, I've never done it and am half thinking of commissioning someone to do it for me. In case anyone's confused (but you're a smart bunch so I doubt it) a Fenian is singular for a member of the Fianna.  
  
I don't own Gundam Wing and I don't think anyone cares.  
  
  
  
  
  
After two days of intensive evaluation, most of the soldiers who had strived to join the Fianna had failed and were forced to join the reserves of common cavalry to back up the new Fianna. Finally, everyone but Duo Maxwell was eliminated.  
  
The tests were easy enough for Duo. He used incantations to perfect his aim in target practice, he invoked a temporary curse on those who faced him in combat, and the heightened senses that came with being an immortal made the stealth test simple. At one point, he and been ordered to spear a target dead centre while on horseback, but lost his concentration at the last minute. He had been about to scream with frustration at his failure when Quatre speared the target for him using his horn, then quickly disguising it again. For what seemed like the hundredth time, Duo thanked whatever higher power was up there that he had brought Quatre with him.  
  
On the third morning, Duo was approached by J and given the final qualifying test.  
  
" You have to go into the forest and return with enough meat to feed all of these soldiers.'  
  
" No problem, sir."  
  
" Without using any weapons."  
  
" Aw, nuts."  
  
" Giving up?"  
  
" Not a chance, sir. Can I use my horse?"  
  
" I can't see it being of much use to you, unless you're planning to kill it and feed us its carcass."  
  
" No way, sir. That's gross."  
  
" Fine then. Good luck. Be back by sunset."  
  
  
Duo led Quatre out to the middle of the nearby glen and strained his ears for movement. Presently, he heard the sounds of something eating in the clearing up ahead. Quatre proceeded quietly through the undergrowth and they spotted their quarry. An enormous Red Elk (1) was pulling leaves off of a willow tree. It was nearly twelve feet from its feet to its antlers, which receded down towards its back. Duo gaped.  
  
"An animal that size would feed the army for a month!"  
  
/ I wouldn't go THAT far./  
" It's perfect."  
  
/ How are you going to catch it?/  
  
" Huh? Aw, nuts. I hadn't thought about that. Well, just start chasing it, and I'll figure it out on the way."  
  
/ Are you sure?/  
  
" Yeah. Now GO!"  
  
Quatre took off after the elk, which had reacted quickly to Duo's shout. In no time, he had caught up with it and was running alongside it.  
  
/ What now?/  
  
Spotting a tangle of furze beside the trail they were using, Duo quickly formed a plan.  
  
" Knock it into the bushes!"  
  
Quatre shouldered the huge beast straight into the thicket, and Duo's plan proved successful. The elk's antlers were caught in the thick branches so it couldn't move. Duo dismounted and approached it.  
  
/ I almost feel sorry for it./  
  
" This is no time to get emotional."  
  
/ Quick and painless, right?/  
  
" Yeah, whatever."  
  
/ Duo!/  
  
" Okay, relax, man. It won't feel a thing."  
  
Duo grabbed the animal's neck and quickly twisted it, then got to work on freeing it from the briars. When he was finished, both immortals stared at the huge cadaver.  
  
/ How are we going to get it back?/  
  
" I don't know. I can't really sling it across your back, can I?"  
  
/ Don't even try it./  
  
" Okay, I'll think of something."  
  
Finally, Duo had it all worked out. Using his cloak, he wrapped every part of the animal except for its antlers. He then tied some long, thick vines to the antlers and fastened a few to Quatre's harnessing.  
He picked up the remaining vines himself and they pulled in the direction of the castle.  
  
  
  
  
J tapped his foot impatiently and stroked his long, grey beard with his remaining hand. His soldiers were getting hungry and the anticipation of waiting to see would the Fianna have a new member always annoyed him. At last, the braided soldier appeared on the horizon, dragging a huge bundle behind him.  
  
J himself unwrapped the bundle, and everyone's eyes widened when they saw the twelve-foot elk. Even Heero, who normally showed little or no emotion, looked vaguely surprised. The cooks immediately began carving up the carcass for cooking.  
  
" Congratulations, my boy, you're a Fenian. Now come enjoy your catch with us."  
  
" Thanks all the same, sir, but I'm gonna go check on my horse."  
  
" We have servants that can look after that for you."  
  
" He gets kinda edgy around strangers, sir. I think I'd better go myself."  
  
" All right. Make sure it's well rested for tomorrow. We're marching into battle at dawn."  
  
" Yes, sir."  
  
Duo trotted out of the room, followed by cheers and thanks from the celebrating soldiers. He didn't pay any attention to the green-eyed stare he was receiving from one end of the room, or the icy blue eyes that followed his movements. Quietly, Trowa Barton followed him to the stable.  
  



	6. Chapter 6

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Missie here once again. I have to tear myself away from my intensive studies to bring you people the next installment of this fic, so you'd better appreciate it (just kidding.) Usual warnings, lemon coming soon.  
  
Gundam Wing is owned by a bunch of little people no one knows who work in sweatshops for 10 cents an hour, not me. I own this fic though, and I don't get 10 cents for writing it "sob."  
  
I just finished my Irish oral exam. Basically, they put you in a room for fifteen of the longest minutes of your life and make you chat to them IN IRISH!!!! Does any other country in the world practice this kind of torture? My hands are still shaking, I can barely type (thank God for spellcheckers.)  
  
  
  
  
  
Trowa's feet never made a sound as he followed Duo to the stables. There was something strange about him and his horse, they might even be spies from Treize's army. There was no way a human could communicate with a horse unless a druid had given him the gift, and Trowa was the last person to have ever received the gift.  
  
He slipped through the shadows in the stable, only to find that he had lost Duo and the horse's stall was empty. He tried to make out tracks in the dirt that the horse might have made, but was distracted by something pulling at his sleeve.  
  
/Bossman bring Heavyarms food?/   
  
The one visible green eye rolled underneath the waterfall of auburn bangs.  
  
" You were already fed. You can't still be hungry."  
  
/ Shenlong take Heavyarm's food./  
  
He had to smile at that. Heavyarms was a huge, chestnut colored charger, solidly built and reaching a height of twelve feet from hoof to neck, but was a gentle giant. Wufei's horse, Shenlong, was a light grey mare with a vicious temper and a domineering attitude, much like her owner. She bullied Heavyarms mercilessly.  
  
" We can't really afford to give you extra rations, so keep Shenlong away from your food in future."  
  
/ Thank you, Bossman./  
  
" Heavyarms?"  
  
/ Question?/  
  
" Has anyone come in here?"  
  
/ Bossman./  
  
" Besides me."  
  
/ Boy with long mane. Take deer out of horse stall./  
  
" Where did they go?"  
  
/ Lake. Deer wanted bath./  
" Thanks."  
  
/ Bye, Bossman./  
  
Trowa took off in the direction of the lake in the nearby forest, following the trail of disturbed foliage and angry chatters of animals they had evidently passed by. One little feildmouse was particularly vocal about the fact that the braided soldier had nearly stepped on him. It was a running joke at Mhac Fheirme that Trowa was mute, having never exchanged words with the other soldiers besides the other Fenians and the elders. However, Trowa just preferred to listen to the animals talking around him. Most of the time, what they had to say was more interesting than what a lot of humans talked about.  
  
Coming closer to the lake now, Trowa could here the loud voice of the braided soldier talking to someone with a much softer voice. It sounded like the horse, but he wasn't hearing the voice inside his head. He heard it the same way he heard a regular human voice. He crept through the canopy quietly and could just make out what they were saying.  
  
" It's traditional that when a Fenian kills an enemy, he cuts off his head and ties it to the mane of his horse."  
  
" Gross! You can tie as many decapitated heads as you want to your own hair, but keep them away from me."  
  
" Aw, you're no fun."  
  
Trowa got just close enough to see the two figures without them noticing him. The lake was strangely lit up by an eerie white glow- that was coming from Duo's forehead!  
  
" The mark of the Tuatha De Danann," mused Trowa to himself, ' I thought they were extinct."  
  
He mentally kicked himself for not noticing sooner. Even if he had been disguised by magic, Duo was too attractive to be human. And he wouldn't have been able to complete the tests the way he did without some form of magic. Trowa turned his attention to the other figure, and all thoughts of Duo were erased from his mind.  
  
The most beautiful creature he had ever seen was bathing naked in the lake, scrubbing his perfectly white arms with a look of distaste across his lovely face. The moon's glow shimmered off the boy's skin and bathed his golden hair with a strange silver sheen. Trowa thankfully drank in the scene.  
  
" You'd better get out now. We go to war tomorrow."  
  
" Who are we fighting again?"  
  
" The High King, Treize. He'll get what's coming to him for messing with my clan."  
  
Trowa breathed a sigh of relief. Duo wasn't a spy, he was just out for revenge. He wouldn't have to be silenced.  
  
" Hurry up, already. If you catch a chill, you're fighting tomorrow anyway."  
  
" Fighting?" pondered Trowa," is that boy one of our soldiers?"  
  
He quickly forgot to scan his memory for the identity of the youth when he stepped out of the lake. Trowa's breeches suddenly felt awfully tight. He nearly moaned in disappointment when Duo covered the blonde's nude form with a heavy cloak.  
  
" Feel cleaner now?"  
  
" Yes. I don't know how humans can let their horses live in such filthy stalls."  
  
" Speaking of which, how is life in the stable?"  
  
" Stable? Is he a livery worker?" thought Trowa.  
  
" Awful. I'm getting sick of people calling me a deer."  
  
" It could be worse. The other soldiers call me a woman."  
  
" Why?"  
  
" The braid. Like their hair is so perfect! Did you see that guy Wufei's ponytail? If it gets any tighter his neck will break! And don't get me started on Trowa!"  
  
" Trowa looked kind of interesting. That hairstyle works for him."  
  
Trowa smiled slightly at the compliment from this mysterious youth, but was getting rather confused.  
  
" Whatever. You dry yet? Hurry up and transform."  
  
The boy removed the cloak, and Trowa's mouth went dry. Suddenly, a blinding white light surrounded him, and the boy's figure contorted and changed. When the light receded, a new creature was standing where the boy had been.  
  
" A unicorn? Duo's horse is a UNICORN? What's going on here?"  
  
Duo, oblivious to the startled soldier hidden in the undergrowth, put the bridle on the unicorn. Both disguised the marks of their species before the braided boy led the animal back through the forest, whistling an old folk song as he walked. Once they had gone, Trowa crawled out of the bushes and stared in the direction they had gone.  
  
" I guess I don't really have to keep an eye on them, but I think I will anyway."  
  
He smiled softly to himself, then realized how truly uncomfortable his breeches were at that moment, and headed back towards the castle.   



	7. Chapter 7

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 6  
  
After a mad rush to get my LCVP project done for TOMORROW, I finally have a free moment to do some writing. I can't wait to get out of school, then I'll be able to write more fics. FIVE WEEKS LEFT!!! WOO HOO! Usual warnings, some violence in this chapter.   
  
I don't own Gundam Wing. Who cares?  
P.S: I don't know when the Irish national anthem was written. I'm just borrowing it.  
  
  
  
  
  
".......SHAY-NA FEE-NAA FOYLE, A-TA FWEE GYALL IN E-E-REN....."  
  
On their way to battle in the morning, Duo had decided to show his devotion to the army by singing the national anthem at the top of his voice. In fact, he had been singing traditional folk songs all morning. Quatre would occasinally join in, but it was Duo's duty to keep the army entertained. Although they didn't look entertained. In fact, they looked kinda mad.  
  
" MAXWELL!"  
  
" Yes, Captain Yuy, sir?"  
  
" Cut that out. You'll give away our position. We don't want any sneak attacks before we get to Glendalough."  
  
" Okay sir. I'll be quiet as a mouse for the rest of the journey. No need to worry. I won't blow our cover. I'll sing later...."  
  
" MAXWELL!"  
  
" Okay, I'll shut up now."  
  
" Good."  
  
Heero shook his head, agitated. He had been confused as to how Duo could have made it into the Fianna. He wasn't physically strong enough, he couldn't stay quiet for more than five minutes and couldn't act serious for more than three minutes. Even now Heero could still here him singing under his breath.  
  
Heero, on the other hand, was a perfect soldier. He had been told so enough times by J to start believing it, because J was stingy with his praise. All his life he had been training as a soldier, and he was seen as fit to lead the new Fianna.  
  
The other two were no less qualified than Heero, but had their minor imperfections. Trowa was very similar to Heero, quiet and dedicated to his duty, but had a habit of being distracted, especially when using that "gift" of his. Right now he was paying more attention to Duo's little deer than where they were going. He was staring at it with a strange expression on his face.  
  
Wufei was a great soldier, practically indestructable and a formidable fighter. But hr was far too quick tempered and couldn't back down from a fight once provoked. Once he had even tried to kill one of the elderly Fenians, O, when the man had made fun of his tight black ponytail.  
  
Heero turned his thoughts away from the other Fenians when they finally reached the outskirts of Glendalough. He raised his hand to signal to the army to get into attack formation. The four Fenians rode to the front, behind them the infantry, and then the cavalry. They lined up on the planes of Glendalough, and faced Treize's army.  
  
Treize was not there himself, surprisingly, because corrupt as he was he usually turned up at an important battle. His Number two, a cheiftain by the name of Zechs Marquise, was at the front lines with a superiour smirk on his face. Heero met eyes with the chieftain, and prepared to give the signal to attack.  
  
  
  
  
Duo nervously played with the stray hairs from Quatre's mane, thumbing the reins as he did so. Quatre was shifting his cloven feet slightly, he was just as nervous as Duo.  
  
/ Something's not right./  
  
" Ssh."  
  
/They're up to something./  
  
" Get ready. We're about to charge."  
  
The army prepared to charge, then Heero gave the signal. The entire cavalry galloped at break-neck speed towards the enemy, the Fenian's chargers leading the way. The other army hadn't made a move yet, which made Heero a little suspicious. The cavalry was at the back and they were charging towards the infantry which couldn't defend themselves against a full scale attack by the opposing army's cavalry.  
  
Quatre was gradually pulling ahead of the others, until about ten feet seperated Duo and Quatre from the rest of the army. Duo leaned over to whisper into the animal's ear.  
  
" What are you doing?"  
  
/ I have a hunch about something. Trust me./  
  
They approached the enemy's frontlines when Duo heard Quatre shouting frantically to him.  
  
/ DUO! TELL THEM TO STOP! NOW! /  
  
Quatre tried to slow down and finally stopped about half a foot from the soldiers holding previously concealed five foot pikes.(1) Duo was thrown off the Alicorn's back when two soldiers drove the long metal weapons into the animal's side. The rest of the army had stopped their horses minutes before they would have galloped straight onto the pikes. Duo found himself surrounded by Treize's army. He barely had time to mutter an incantation and started to fight his way out of the tight circle of bodies which soon turned into corpses, all the time scanning the area for the injured Alicorn.  
  
Finally, he spotted Quatre lying on his side, with the pikes potruding from his stomach and chest. He ran over to the animal and tried to remove the weapons, but only succeeded in making him scream in pain. Trowa sliced a path through the enemy and guided Heavyarms over to them. He drew a large battleaxe from the weapons cache hanging from the charger's side and sliced the pikes up to where they entered Quatre's body. He then turned to Duo.  
  
" Get back on. We can treat the wounds later but you'll need your horse now."  
  
Duo swallowed but nodded in agreement. He pulled Quatre to his feet and got back on, being careful not to touch the injuries.  
The Fianna's army was losing. Although they were more competent, better qualified and in better shape than the High King's army, they were hopelessly outnumbered. Heero would quite happily have fought to the death, but he had his men to think of. Sighing, he gave the signal to retreat.  
  
There wasn't really any point in giving the signal. The entire army, except for Trowa , Wufei, Duo and Heero, had been slaughtered like sheep. They had all killed immeasurable amounts of the enemy, but were going to be overwhelmed.  
  
Wing lead them off the battlefield into the forest, followed closely by Heavyarms, Shenlong and a badly injured Quatre.  
  
It was approaching night now, so the small team prepared to camp in the forest outside Inis Gloire. Wufei immediately tied up Shenlong and practiced sword manuevers, black eyes glittering angrily. Trowa built a small fire and heated the small provisions that they had brought. Heero began to sharpen his sword, Nobody spoke of what had happened.  
  
Finally, Duo broke the silence.  
  
" I'm going to the river to clean my horse's wounds. I'll be back shortly."  
  
Heero's dark blue eyes followed the braided boy. He had surprised the cynical captain today. Battling frantically just to find his injured horse, moving in battle as if he were dancing....  
  
Heero had to stop thinking there. He didn't like where it was going.  
  
Trowa stood up after they had eaten and said he was going to the river to help Duo. Wufei's eyebrows rose in surprise.  
  
" Why do you care? He can take care of himself."  
  
Trowa gave a strange smile.  
  
" I'm good with horses."  
  
  
  
End. No more fanfiction till Tuesday.  
  
(1) A pike is a very long spear, shaped like Sailor Saturn's glaive with a hook at the end. I got the idea from Braveheart, but you probably guessed that. Too bad Quatre didn't guess it sooner, eh? Haha. I'm pure evil, me.  
  



	8. Chapter 8

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 8  
  
  
Missie here (as if you didn't know.) I'm going to attempt a lemon in this Chapter, review and please be kind! I'm an illustrator not a writer. I've narrowed down the pairings for Wufei to the obvious candidates, Treize and Sally Po. If you would prefer one to the other, E-mail me or put it in the review.  
  
P.s: Do you know why a caged bird sings? Think about it, will explain later.  
  
  
  
Duo removed the final stump of metal from Quatre's stomach, thankful that the animal didn't make a sound. He scooped up some water in a hollowed-out rock he had found, and began to clean the gaping wounds.  
  
/ Ouch./  
  
" Sorry."  
  
/ It's okay. It doesn't hurt much anymore./  
  
" Can't you use your powers to heal these wounds?"  
  
/ No. When I use my healing powers, I'm using my own energy reserves to help the other creature. When I'm injured, I have very little energy./  
  
" I'll do the best I can, but I'm no doctor."  
  
" Why don't you let me try?"  
  
Duo jumped at this new voice. He turned quickly and confronted Trowa, forgetting to disguise the symbol on his forehead. He scrambled for a weapon, and found none, cursing loudly the whole time. Quatre bounded to his side, horn lowered, and spread his huge white wings, to make him seem bigger and a more formidable opponent. Trowa's eyes widened in surprise at the sight, but quickly regained his composure.  
  
" Relax, I'm not the enemy."  
  
" I can explain..."  
  
" You don't have to. I already know."  
  
" How?"  
  
" Didn't you know? I can hear animals talk. I heard you talking to your unicorn..."  
  
/ Alicorn./  
  
Trowa flashed a brief smile in Quatre's direction.  
  
" Please excuse me, alicorn. I heard you talking to each other, but don't worry, I won't reveal you."  
  
" Why? What's in it for you?"  
  
" Nothing. If we want to battle Treize, we'll need all the help we can get. An immortal would be very useful, we'd be crazy to give up two."  
  
Duo breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
" Thanks, man. You won't regret this."  
  
" I don't think I will. You're injured, by the way."  
  
Duo looked down, and to his surprise, found a large gash from his thigh to his ankle. He'd been so worried about Quatre that he hadn't even noticed.  
  
" Quatre can't heal that, his energy is drained from the battle. You should go back to camp and bandage it."  
  
Duo cast a look at Quatre, and a more furtive one at Trowa.  
  
" Don't worry. I'll take care of him."  
  
/ Go ahead, Duo. I'll be fine. I trust him./  
  
Duo grudgingly trudged back through the forest. Trowa gratefully turned his attention to the alicorn.  
  
" If you changed to your human form, I'd be able to treat your injuries better."  
  
The animal gave a strange sort of shrug, reared to his full height and contorted in a flash of silver light. Trowa forced himself to keep his eyes on the newly revealed human's delicately sculptured face and offered Quatre his cloak to cover his delectable figure.  
  
  
  
Duo forced himself through the tangled undergrowth, so tired he could barely stand. He regretted not objecting more to leaving Quatre with Trowa, but his own powers were so drained that he was finding it hard not to just sink into the lush green forest bed and sleep until he was ready to join the land of the living again.  
  
Heero watched as the braided Fenian flopped bonelessly onto a small clump of grass and leaves and closed his eyes. The leader noticed his injury.  
  
" Get that sorted out."  
  
" Can't. Tired. Go 'way."  
  
" Where's your horse?"  
  
" Trowa's taking care of him. He's better with animals than me. I sleep now."  
  
" Bandage your wound, then sleep."  
  
Heero heard light snores and muffled speech from the mouth of the violet-eyed soldier, sprawled out across the grass and fast asleep. Heero muttered under his breath and got up to fetch some bandages. An injured soldier was a bad soldier, so all wounds must be mended right away.   
  
He rolled up the leg of Duo's breeches to the top of his thigh, trying not to notice how smooth and soft the skin was, or how peaceful Duo looked while sleeping. Hastily. he wrapped most of Duo's leg in the bandages, and to his dismay found they did not hide any of Duo's delicious curves. If anything, they accentuated them. Indulging himself with one lingering gaze at the beautiful soldier, he quickly covered the bandaged leg and went to lie down, minutes before Wufei returned with firewood.  
  
  
  
  
At the lake, Trowa was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had actually gotten up close to this beautiful creature, was touching him. It almost seemed too good to be true, like a dream.  
  
" Ouch."  
  
" Sorry. I'm nearly done."  
  
" Thank you."  
  
" So how did you meet up with Duo? I've only ever heard fragments of your conversations."  
  
" He rescued me from demons, then I rescued him from some human demons. We decided to stick together after that. We're the last two immortals left on earth."  
  
" What happened to your kind?"  
  
" I don't know. They were here, now they're not."  
  
" They had to have gone somewhere."  
  
" No, not really. We aren't born, like Duo's kind. We just are, and the others just were. There's no other explanation."  
  
Quatre shifted slightly, and the moonlight shimmered off of his golden-bleached silver hair, his porcelain toned face, highlighted the exposed white skin and shadowed the curves concealed beneath the cloak. Trowa swallowed a gulp. Quatre turned his constantly moving turquoise eyes to Trowa's wide emerald and Trowa swore he could see what was about to happen dancing in those brightly colored depths. He reached over and pulled the immortal to his chest, and covered his mouth with a passionate kiss.  
  
Quatre was surprised at first, but gradually relaxed into the embrace, allowing Trowa to guide him. Sharp tingles of multi-colored energy coursed through his small body. He wasn't used to such feeling, especially in this body, but reveled in them.  
  
Anyone who knew Trowa, stoic, calm and efficient, would have sworn they had seen someone else that night. Trowa swore angrily at not being able to get his clothes off fast enough. When he eventually did get them off, he slowly pulled the cloak away from Quatre's body and tossed it to one side.  
  
Trowa's dark tanned skin contrasted beautifully with Quatre's glowing white. His hands explored every inch of the splendid figure, shoulders, chest, back, stomach, hips, thighs, legs, then travelled up again. He didn't want to rush, he wanted to savour this moment.   
  
Quatre's hands traced the muscled contours of Trowa, and came to a spot that he knew would please his new lover. He very gently slid one small white hand between Trowa's thighs and caressed the skin there. Very tempted to release, Trowa held it back and sat back on his his knees. Quatre made a small sound to object, but this turned into soft moans when Trowa slid one finger, then two, into the entrance between the immortal's legs.  
  
After stretching him, Trowa again moistened his fingers in the hollowed-out stone full of water that Duo had used earlier to clean Quatre's wounds. He liberally coated his aching member with the liquid, and pulled Quatre up to lie at an angle across his thighs, legs wrapped around the other boy's waist.   
  
Very slowly, he pushed into the smaller frame. Both gasped, Trowa at the delicious pressure enclosed around him, and Quatre with the impact on this sorely neglected body.  
  
Fuelled by emotion and raw passion, Trowa sluiced in and out, moving in perfect rhythm with the smaller boy. His softly toned dark skin blended seamlessly into the others shimmering white, together creating a strange symphony of light, color, sound and motion until they simultaneously reached the crescendo, and sank exhausted into the dark green canopy.  
  
Trowa covered both their bodies with the cloak he had discarded, and they rested.  
  
  
  
Trowa appeared later on, nearing daybreak, with Duo's horse. Heero eyed him suspiciously.  
  
" Did it really take that long to heal some cuts? It doesn't look too bad now."  
  
"Had to keep an eye on it. It was kinda frenzied."  
  
Heero shrugged and they loaded up their horses. Duo leapt onto Quatre's back, and the alicorn gave a snort of discomfort.  
  
" What's the matter?"  
  
/ Nothing. Just a little tired. /  
  
They solemnly traveled back towards Mhac Fheirme.  
  
  
  
There you have it, my first lemon. Or was that a lime? You decide. I'll do better next time.  



	9. Chapter 9

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 9  
  
Missie has been neglecting this fic! Not really, though, I needed time to recover from the strain of writing my first lemon, which turned out to be more like a lime. Oh Well. Here goes. Will have 1+2 soon, don't worry.  
  
  
  
The troop of Fenians continued the long trudge back to Mhac Fheirme at midday, all pretty somber except for Trowa, who was in an uncharacteristically good mood. He was actually smiling!  
  
Duo was whistling softly to himself and swinging his legs back and forth, occasionally brushing up against Quatre's haunches.  
  
/Ouch! /  
  
" What's with you?"  
  
/ Nothing. Just a little tired./  
  
" Your stomach bothering you?"  
  
/ No, it's not my stomach./  
  
Duo caught a brief grin from Trowa, and felt a little irate.  
  
" Hey, Trowa, are you sure you know how to handle animals? My horse is a little groggy this morning."  
  
" Don't worry about it. Just go easy, it's still a bit tender."  
  
Duo frowned, and leaned over to whisper in Quatre's ear.  
  
" You gonna be okay for the rest of the journey?"  
  
/ I'll be fine. It's almost sundown anyway, so we'll be setting up camp./  
  
" Okay, if you're sure. But be careful, I don't like the way Trowa acts around you."  
  
/ I can handle it, don't worry so much./  
  
Soon enough, they did set up camp, and Trowa took all the horses, Quatre included away to find water. After about an hour, Duo got worried and went to look for them.  
  
  
  
  
Trowa buried his face in the soft cushion of blonde hair resting on his shoulder, ignoring the raucous shouts of Way to go, Bossman! and Put it away! coming from Heavyarms and Shenlong. Wing, Heero's white stallion, graciously ignored them and turned his attention to the water they had gone to find. Trowa wrapped his long black cloak around him and his immortal lover, deciding that they were both to drained to head back to camp just yet.  
  
He breathed in the scent of the blonde's hair, and murmured into his ear.  
" I love you."  
  
" How do you know?"  
  
Quatre looked up at him curiously with wide, shifting turquoise eyes.  
  
" What?"  
  
" How do humans know that they're in love? How do you know that you love me?"  
  
" I just know. It's hard to explain. Haven't you ever loved someone?"  
  
" Many times. It's never been returned, though. Humans seem to have a different idea of love than I do, and my immortality got in the way."  
  
" If you weren't sure, then why did you sleep with me?"  
  
" It felt right. It still does. Is that what love means to you?"  
  
Trowa breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
" Yes, it sounds like it."  
  
Just then, they heard a rustle in the undergrowth, and a familiar sounding voice reached their ears before they could cover up what they had been doing.  
  
" Hey, Trowa, I heard your voice! What's taking so long.............GAAAAHHHHH!"  
  
Duo burst out onto the riverbank to confront a sheepish-looking Quatre and Trowa trying to pull his pants on. Immediately thinking the worst, he rounded on Trowa with a dagger.  
  
" Duo, let me explain...."  
  
" I don't need to hear your excuses! I'm not gonna sit back and let you take advantage of my buddy! Sure, he's cute, but you're a FENIAN! Why couldn't you keep your hands to yourself, you rotten piece of..."  
  
Quatre, wrapped in Trowa's cloak, tried to restrain the enraged faerie.  
  
" Duo, calm down. It's not what it looks like!"  
  
" Yeah right! I know what goes through their perverted little minds! You and me, pal..."  
  
" DUO! We're in love!"  
  
" Huh?"  
  
For once, the braided Fenian was speechless. He glanced from Trowa, who was staring adoringly at Quatre, to the blonde, who was looking at him beseechingly. Suddenly, a huge grin broke across Duo's face, and he picked up the smaller immortal and danced around with him for a few minutes.  
  
" WOOOOO! My little Quatre's all grown up! And with great taste in men, I might add! Taking on the old ball-and-chain, eh, Tro? Imagine what your kids would look like.... Screw that, it's not possible...."  
  
Duo continued to rant while Quatre and Trowa stared, surprised by his reaction. Finally, he stopped and turned back to them.  
  
" We'd better get back! We stay out here any longer the other two might think we were having a threesome! Now there's an idea..... Hah! Don't look so shocked, Quat, I'm only kidding."  
  
After Quatre shape shifted and Trowa gathered the other horses, they headed back to camp.  
  
  
  
Heero was getting more than a little agitated, although you couldn't have seen it by looking at his face. Although they were now approaching Mhac Fheirme, Duo had made the trip a nightmare. He'd make really strange comments, laced with innuendo, then give a donkey's bray laugh at his own jokes. Wufei had shouted angrily at him more than once, and Heero had reprimanded him several times. They all heaved a sigh of relief when they reached the entrance gates to Mhac Fheirme....  
  
...... then all stared in shock at the ruins of the once enormous castle.  
  
The building had been razed to the ground, including stables and the crop fields beyond. Heero was first to regain composure.  
  
" Spread out and look for survivors!"  
  
Silently, the four Fenians split up. Trowa rode Heavyarms over the rough rubble of the courtyard leading to the main living areas, Wufei searched the crop fields and barns, Duo guided Quatre into the ruined stables and Heero entered the still partially intact banquet hall. A gleam of silver caught his eye, and he dismounted to examine it. He felt a strange lump form in his throat as he realized what it was.  
  
J's silver arm.  
  
J had told Heero about how he had lost his arm in a battle against a legendary tribe of immortals known as the Tuatha De Danann. The old man had reminisced about facing the group's leader, Cuchulainn, alone on the battlefield. After losing his arm to the immortal's sword but still refusing to give up, Cuchulainn had deemed him an honorable opponent and withdrew his army. The arm, made of pure silver, was a gift from the faerie as a sign of goodwill. For it to be lying here, discarded in the rubble could only mean that J was dead.  
  
Swallowing the obtruction his throat, Heero prepared to call the others together to decide what they would do, when he heard commotion from outside. He quickly mounted Wing and goaded the animal outside, to where Trowa and Wufei were staring open-mouthed at the sky, while Trowa tried to restrain Duo's frenzied horse. Heero turned his own gaze to the sky.  
  
Duo was more than a hundred feet above them, struggling in the grasp of an enormous demon. The monstrosity had a jackal's head, obscured by four long fangs protruding from its top lip. Its body was a sickly green and gray color, wrinkled and leathery with no muscle, just fat and bone. Its neck was surrounded by a ring of matted, stringy gray fur, which connected, to two huge leathery wings. Its arms were thin pieces of jagged bone that looked fragile, but were topped by long metal claws and were clutching Duo in a vice like grip.  
  
Heero found himself panicking, which at any other time he would have berated himself for allowing such emotion to surface and get to him. But his full concentration was on the braided soldier.  
  
What were they going to do?   



	10. Chapter 10

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 10  
  
For those who are fans of my fics (referring in particular to Pure evilness and The smiley Bandit) who simply MUST have the next part of this fic out as soon as possible, I hope you're happy! I should be studying for my exams, Dammit! Just kidding, I love you guys. Warnings same as previous Chapters, I don't own anything, they're all Mother Earth's creatures.  
  
  
  
Duo guided Quatre through the ruined stables, trying not to retch at the sight of charred and bloody animal corpses. The building had remained relatively untouched by the fire that had ravaged the castle, but was still in tatters. Large gashes that looked suspiciously like claw marks were torn through the walls. A faint rustling could be heard in the large storeroom behind the destroyed stall.  
  
/ What was that?/  
  
" Probably just rats. Plenty of food for them here. Keep walking."  
  
Another, louder rustle sounded from the storeroom.  
  
/ It's not rats. It's bigger. Can we get out of here now?/  
  
" Man, what's with the paranoia? You're probably just hearing things, and besides, we have to...."  
  
Duo's words were cut off when both he and Quatre were rammed from the side by something large and fanged. Quatre crashed into the side of one of the ruined stalls and Duo was thrown through the window of the structure to land in a collection of bridles and chains suspended from the ceiling. He tried to grasp his dagger but saw it lying just beyond his reach, Two feet from where he was tangled in the metal and leather straps.  
  
Quatre, meanwhile, was lying on his back and kicking at the creature holding him down. He finally managed to throw it off by hitching his stronger back legs under the demon's throat and catapulting it away from him. While he struggled to his feet, the demon turned its attention to a luckless Duo, trying to free himself from the horse trappings.  
  
The demon sliced at the restraints with its long, rusted metal claws and grabbed Duo. The interlaced symbol on the faerie's head suddenly blasted the room with a bright silver glow, momentarily stunning the beast but temporarily weakening Duo. The demon quickly regained composure and flew out of the stable, dragging the braided Fenian along with it.  
  
Trowa had been examining the remains of somebody's living quarters when something much larger than a bird flew over his head. When he looked up, Duo was struggling in the grasp of a fifteen-foot demon, barely managing to keep the creature's jagged yellow fangs away from his throat. A flash of silver and gold caught Trowa's attention, and before the alicorn could attempt to aid Duo, Trowa had Quatre held in place by the reins.  
  
/ What are you doing? I have to help Duo! /  
  
" There's no way you can fight that thing without hurting Duo. If you kill it, he'll fall to his death. Wait until we've figured out a plan."  
  
Heero and Wufei rode their horses at break neck speed over to the auburn haired Fenian. Trowa could have sworn that he actually saw worry in Heero's eyes. Wufei turned his gaze towards the creature.  
  
" I could kill it. No problem."  
  
The Asian drew a long sword, emblazoned by the sign of the dragon, out of an elaborately decorated scabbard secured to Shenlong's side. Although it was certain that Wufei was the only one who could kill the demon without getting hurt himself, in his impulsiveness he had overlooked something that Heero duly pointed out.  
  
" How are you going to get at it?"  
  
Quatre impatiently shuffled his feet and cast worried glances at the sky, to where Duo's struggles were gradually losing strength. Trowa had a brainstorm.  
  
" Wufei, get up on Quatre."  
  
" Trowa, if I'm going to use a horse, I'll use Shenlong, not Duo's deer."  
  
Quatre looked uneasily at Trowa, who shot a reassuring smile back at the immortal. Sighing, he unmasked the cloaking magic surrounding his horn and unfolded his wings. One jaw dropped, and their unemotional leader's eyes nearly filled his face. Trowa frowned.  
  
" We don't have time to waste. Get on, I'll explain later."  
  
Wufei, still pretty damn shocked, mounted the winged animal. Quatre snorted uncomfortably.  
  
/ He's heavier than Duo. /  
  
" Stop complaining and get going."  
  
Wufei, looking decidedly bewildered, clung to Quatre's neck as the two powerful wings lashed the air and drove them up towards the fanged apparition and its braided captive.  
  
Duo tried not to lose consciousness, more of a consequence of the demon's stinking breath than the fact that he was being throttled to within an inch of his life. Something jolted the creature suddenly, and it nearly dropped Duo in its surprise. The Fenian's indigo eyes widened when he saw Wufei approaching on the back of the alicorn, balancing precariously along the animal's spine because he had nowhere to put his legs.  
  
Wufei soon forgot his initial surprise when actually confronted with the beast, so instead of continuing to dangle half on and half off of Quatre's back, he stood up between the alicorn's shoulderblades and swung himself onto the demon's back. Quatre hovered just beneath the squirming trio, ready to catch the person that fell first. Duo soon found himself surrounded by rustling white and silver feathers when Wufei cut off one of the demon's skeletal arms.   
  
Meanwhile, Wufei was having a great time. The demon's claws raked across his arms in an effort to pry them from their stranglehold on it's matted, bloody ruff of fur, but not a scratch or even a bruise appeared on the flawless, deceptively soft caramel skin. The Asian actually laughed out loud at the creature's futile struggle, but the sound died in his throat when he lost his grip on his sword. Now the demon gave a guttural sound that resembled a chuckle and prepared to hurl Wufei to his death. Powerful as he was, Wufei wouldn't be able to kill it with his bare hands.  
  
Duo watched the sword plummet, his hopes and his stomach following it. Suddenly, it halted in mid air and started flying back towards them. Duo briefly looked up to see Quatre's prism-like horn glowing a bright gold. The braided soldier reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword as it passed him, and drew his energy reserves through his body until they collected at his forehead and the symbol of the Tuatha De Danann lit up the sky with a bright silver and purple flash of light. Shouting an incantation, he hurled the sword towards the demon and the shaft of metal drove itself into the creature's chest.   
  
Wufei grabbed his sword and yanked it from the demon's corpse before he started falling. He closed his eyes at the swift rush of wind that stung his cheeks, but they were startled open when he found himself floating towards Duo and the alicorn. His previous amazement gripped him again, so that on the descent he could do nothing but grasp at Quatre's neck and wait for solid ground to reach his feet again.  
  
Quatre set both tired soldiers down beside Heero, Trowa and the group's horses. Duo wiped the sweat from his forehead and closed his eyes. When they opened he met the stares of Heero and Wufei. The captain reached forward and yanked painfully at his braid.  
  
" Talk. It's what you're good at."  
  
Slowly, Duo recounted his tale and explained his situation to the Fenians. The only clearly displayed emotion from either was an occasionally raised eyebrow. Taking his focus away from their penetrating stares for a moment, he noticed that Trowa was standing beside Quatre, his hand playing with Quatre's mane hidden behind the alicorn's wing. Remembering how he had caught them earlier, Duo had to finish his story through ill timed laughter.  
  
".... (gasp) and we passed all the (chuckle) tests, with thanks to my (snort) buddy here, and that's about it really. I think you know about everything that happened after that (snigger.)"  
  
Heero glanced at the alicorn, then back at Duo. He heaved a sigh and silenced Duo's laughter.  
  
" If this little incident had been discovered by J or one of the other seniors, you'd have been suspended immediately, maybe even executed for treason."  
  
Duo turned a shade of white that nearly outstripped Quatre.  
  
" However, we'll need all the help we can get. We may have use for you, if we still plan to rebel as the original Fianna wanted."  
  
Duo cheered and slapped Heero across the back, wisely backing up when he saw that his captain wasn't amused.  
  
" So where to now? Have we got a plan?"  
  
" We go to Tara. An old fashioned assassination could be our best bet."  
  
Duo cheered again and swung himself up on Quatre's back. Wufei eyed them both skeptically.  
  
" Immortal or not, I don't think your deer would be adequate for our plans. You need a real horse."  
  
The braided Fenian barely restrained Quatre from flipping the arrogant Asian off of his horse into a nearby pile of manure.  
  
" Well, he has a human form."  
  
" Would he be a weakness in our team, though?"  
  
" Hell no! I wouldn't have made it this far without him. He's pretty darn capable."  
  
Duo spoke this last statement with a wicked grin aimed at Trowa.  
  
" Fine. We'll double up on the horses until we find another two."  
  
" Okay, Q, shape-shift."  
  
/ Get me some clothes and tell them to close their eyes first./  
  
Duo grinned. It seemed that Quatre picked up a thing or two about modesty from being around people for so long. Heero and Wufei rolled their eyes at the request, but complied. When they opened them, a remarkably small human stood before them. Heero looked him up and down with a raised eyebrow.  
  
" Better, I guess. Duo gets on Wing with me, and you get on Heavyarms with Trowa. It's not an ideal situation to have one Fenian riding another."  
  
To Heero's surprise, Duo let out a howl of raucous laughter and Quatre's pale cheeks turned bright red.  
  
  
  
  
"How did they enjoy their little expedition, Lady Une?"  
  
Treize directed this question to his trusted advisor, who was counting a collection of recently invoked demons with a slight scowl across her face.  
  
" Sir, we're missing one."  
  
Formal though it sounded, Lady Une was the only person permitted to address Treize as "sir." For everyone else, bar his Senior chieftain Zechs Marquise, referred to him as "your highness." Zechs called him Treize.  
  
" It's probably enjoying a meal right now, Lady. Mhac Fheirme provides wonderful banquets, I've heard. End the spell later, and don't worry about it."  
  
Although Treize was a Catholic, his trusted advisor was skilled in a form of Satanism acquired in the land she had grown up in, now plundered and forgotten. Many of Treize's victories stood as victories of the Christian faith, never disproved because the demons that Une resurrected rarely left survivors.  
  
" Sir, I sense an approaching danger."  
  
" Danger, hm? Good. It's been rather boring around here, hasn't it?"  
  
" But sir..."  
  
The sound of a sword being removed from its scabbard cut off Lady Une's words. Treize regarded his reflection in the glossy metal.  
  
" We'll be ready, Lady. No matter who it is."  
  
  
  
Quick Gaelic lessons for those confused, if any:  
  
Tuatha De Danann: TOY-HA DAY DAN-ANN.  
  
Mhac Fheirme: VAWC FER-MA.  
  
Cuculainn: COO-CU-LAN.  
  
Inis Gloire: INN-ISH GLOY-RA.  
  
That's it, right?  
  
  



	11. Chapter 11

The Cathach

The Cathach

Chapter 11

Okay, I've pulled myself out of my psychedelic Hallucinations long enough to work on this fic. I must admit, I have been neglecting it. I got carried away with some other ideas, but now I only have one other work in progress so I can concentrate more on this one. Usual warnings, usual disclaimer.

The Fianna troop continued their long trek to Tara to confront the High King. Duo was riding Wing with Heero and Quatre was on Heavyarms with Trowa, but only two of them were delighted with the arrangement. Duo felt a little bit lonely behind the captain, having no one to talk to, and Heero's close proximity to the braided soldier was making him feel uncomfortable.

Trowa was enjoying the situation immensely. Quatre was sitting in front of him, and to hold the reins the auburn haired boy had to reach around the Alicorn's slender waist. And feeling Quatre's body rub up against his thighs made the journey a lot more interesting, to say the least. By now, the rest of the team knew of their relationship, but Heero had warned them not to flaunt it too much. Still, it was nice having his lover so close to him.

Quatre turned out to be a capable navigator, having been exploring the entire country for years. He was leading them through an old trail that many immortals had used before they had been wiped out, and at this rate they were assured to be in Tara within a few days. They had to stop when the reached a fork in the trail. Wufei snorted angrily along with his horse.

" Well, which way now?"

" Um, would we rather face a griffon or a dragon?"

" What the hell are you talking about, blondie?"

" If we go right, we'll encounter an old griffon's lair. If we go left, we might see a dragon."

" He's right. I can hear them from here."

" Personally, I'd choose the dragon. As long as we don't wake it up or anger it, we should be safe."

" I can handle a dragon. Left it is."

They continued down a rocky mountain trail, and soon enough they came across a large cave with the sounds of heavy snoring echoing from inside. Wufei frowned and muttered to himself. They were under strict instruction not to wake or disturb the sleeping dragon in any way, as much as the Asian soldier was itching for a fight. Although dragons were considered demons and not true immortals like Duo or Quatre, the demon blood inside of most of the species had been diluted over the years. Many just stuck to forests and mountains away from humans.

The dragon that Wufei had killed at the age of thirteen had been responsible for destroying his village, and had carried off and eaten the girl he had been arranged to marry. Although, quite frankly, Wufei wasn't that disappointed about his wife. He was more annoyed that the girl had been carried off while making supper for the soldier. In retaliation, Wufei had cooked and eaten the dragon's flesh, and so the protective scales of the creature's skin had blended seamlessly with Wufei's own. Unfortunatly, it had also given him a thirst for combat.

A loud crash sounded from behind the travelers, and they looked around to see a large, honey-colored dragon cornering Wufei. Her angular blue eyes narrowed at him, and the strange, spiraled double frills on her head rose and fell as she snarled at the soldier, who had just drawn his sword. He looked rather pleased.

" Do your worst, dragon!"

" Believe me, I will! I smell the blood of a kinsman on you!"

" Yeah, I eat creatures like you for breakfast! Literally!"

" Then I'll do the same to you!"

The dragon knocked the sword out of Wufei's grip and grabbed him, dangling him in the air like a cat with a mouse. The Fianna figured that they'd have to intervene before they lost a member of the team. Quatre jumped down off of Heavyarms and approached her.

" Please, Miss, couldn't you let him go?"

" No way! He ate one of my kind, I'll eat him!"

" You don't have the guts, onna!"

" You'll have a pretty good view of my guts where you're going, boy!"

" You can't eat him! He's got dragon's skin. He'd be impossible to digest!"

" All right, I'll just rip him to pieces!"

" But we need him!"

" Not as much as my kind needs revenge! And I'm sure you can understand this, Alicorn! His kind butchered your kind!"

" Can't we negotiate this, immortal to immortal?"

He had swayed her. Quatre had traveled the entire length of the country and come across many creatures, including dragons. He knew that they were notoriously vain and liked to consider themselves immortals. And they were very susceptible to flattery. The dragon beamed and set a fuming Wufei down, then introduced herself as Sally to the bemused Fianna.

Several hours later, the Fianna left Sally's cave, minus an old book of alchemy that had belonged to J. Sally had agreed to take it instead of Wufei. On the way out, she slapped the Asian's rear with her claw, winked and called him 'muffin.' Wufei refused to say anything for the rest of the trip.

* * * * * *

" Are we there yet?"

" No."

" Are we there yet?"

" No."

" Are we there yet?"

" NO!"

" All right, no need to shout."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"…Are we there yet?"

" Duo, for the love of…"

" What's that?"

The top of a single spire fell into the travelers' vision, a sign that they were approaching Tara. They rode in the direction of the spire, only to find that the trail forked again and lead through either dense forest, or barren wasteland.

" How do we know which way to go?"

" We send a scout."

" The scout could get lost in that forest, and the wasteland goes on for miles!"

" I've an idea!"

" Well, do share, Maxwell!"

" Me and Quatre can fly above the trails and see which one gets us there."

" That's not a bad idea. I'm amazed."

" Haw haw. Ever the wit, Wuffie."

" Get going. We haven't that much time."

" Okay! Let's go, Q."

Quatre dismounted and shape-shifted quickly. When Duo was secured on his back, the Alicorn's huge white wings stirred the air and both immortals were thrust towards the sky.

* * * * * *

" Lord Treize."

" Yes, Lady Une?"

" Enemies are approaching swiftly. I cannot predict who or why, but my sources say that they are dangerous."

" How many?"

" I can only detect two, approaching. Too fast to be on horseback."

" How many griffons lie dormant near Lough Derravaragh?"

" Seven, sir. Maybe more, I cannot be certain."

" Send as many as you can to greet our visitors."

" Yes, sir."

Lady Une walked over to a shallow pool of water, ripped her canine tooth across her thumb and let a few drops of blood hit the surface. As she began a chant, the blood spread until the whole pool was an unearthly crimson.

* * * * * *

A few miles away, a beast with the head of a vulture, the body of a panther and bat's wings opened it's glowing red eyes, then released a harsh, guttural cry to others of its kind. The message was very simple.

__

The hunt is on.


	12. Chapter 12

The Cathach  
  
Chapter 12  
  
Sorry peeps! Missie won't be updating any time soon. My brother broke the computer again and I'm uploading this from a friend's. I'll work on everything when the computer is fixed or I get a laptop. Whichever comes first. Usual warnings, usual disclaimer, here's part 12.  
  
***********************  
  
/ Are you okay, Duo?/  
  
" Um, yeah, just peachy."  
  
Aside from the fact that he felt ready to throw up into the forest canopy below them. If he could get over his travel sickness, he might even enjoy the ride. The lush green canopy receded and waved with the wind, a sea of pulsating emerald green. To the right, a seemingly endless stretch of soft white sand loomed underneath.  
  
/ Do you see a trail?/  
  
The violet-eyed soldier scanned both stretches of wilderness, and uncovered a small, beaten path, hidden in the trees in the thick of the forest.   
  
" There's a trail through the forest. Crap, more green. I'm so sick of all this stinking greenery. Ah, well, turn around so we can tell the others."  
  
The Alicorn spun sharply to fly in the opposite direction, and Duo nearly lost his lunch.  
  
***********************  
  
The griffon's matted brown-feathered wings sent clouds of dust floating into the fresh air. For a moment, it flapped about awkwardly before it gained momentum. The others clumsily attempted to get airborne. They hadn't needed to fly for a long time, Une had awakened them from a lengthy hibernation. The promise of fresh game had been too tempting for them to ignore. They could smell the blood of an immortal about three miles away.  
  
Finally, they seemed to grasp the nuances of flight and the twelve enormous beasts formed jagged brown streaks across the perfect azure sky.  
  
***********************  
  
About half a mile away, Duo spotted the rendezvous point and the three Fenians waiting for them. He was glad to be closer to the ground.  
  
" Start bringing her down, Quatre. We're almost there."  
  
As the Alicorn began to descend, a streak of rusty brown caught the faerie's attention. He tried to focus his eyes to get a better look. A vulture, with a rusted iron beak and the body of a wolf, seemed to grin at him with its crimson eyes. Duo grinned back and prepared for battle. It didn't look like anything he and Quatre couldn't handle.  
  
The braided soldier clung to Quatre's neck when the animal took off vertically into the clouds and spun wildly in the direction they had come from. An inhuman shriek from behind them prompted him to look behind him. The vulture-like creature was gaining on them, even though Quatre was flying so fast that Duo's braid had come undone.  
  
" Woah, Q, what's the panic? Let me get a decent shot at him!"  
  
/ That's a griffon, Duo! They're immune to ancient magic! /  
Wrinkling his nose in disbelief, Duo shouted a fast incantation and hurled a jagged bolt of lightning at the beast. Another banshee-like wail came from the iron mouth, and the bolt shattered like glass. Duo started panicking.  
  
" Shit! Fly faster, Quatre!"  
  
Quatre's huge silver-white wings lashed powerfully at the air until finally it seemed as though they had outmanoeuvred it. Just as both immortals were about to release a sigh of relief, two more of the griffons appeared in front of them. The one that they thought they had escaped caught up with another three. Two more closed in from either side. With no other option, Quatre flew up through the clouds, narrowly missing electric storms and the oxygen around them was growing thinner. Finally, Quatre came to a halt and hovered miles above the ground.  
  
The Alicorns sides heaved with the terrible effort of breathing such thin air after so much physical exertion and Duo scouted the clouds for signs of the beasts. When he saw that it was safe, the violet-eyed Fenian flopped onto Quatre's neck.  
  
" Phew! Jeez, if you see my nervous system lying around here somewhere, I'd like it back. But at least I didn't shit myself. That'd be bad news for you, right, Q?"  
  
Quatre was too tired to answer him. After he had gained his breath, the animal prepared to fly back to the rendezvous. Suddenly, rusty metal claws tore through Quatre's left wing, stopping an inch away from Duo's face. Cursing, Duo cut off the limb with his dagger and pulled it out, along with a string of matted, bloody feathers. Quatre attempted to fly on the injured wing, but all twelve griffons were fast catching up with him.  
  
Duo had closed his eyes and was awaiting the inevitable when he felt himself being thrown around on Quatre's back. The Alicorn was trying to throw him off! One forceful thrash loosened the braided soldier's grip on Quatre's neck, and he felt himself falling into the forest canopy. While plummeting, he saw one of the griffons slash cruelly at the Alicorn's face, and he watched as his friend fell with a crash onto the wasteland.  
  
From the safe covering of the trees, Duo held his breath while the griffons tried to sniff him out. He'd severely injured his head in the fall, but needed to stay conscious to avoid he demons and help Quatre. The griffons soon gave up looking for him and turned their full attention to the motionless Alicorn. After they cawed indecisively at each other for a few moments, the largest griffon picked up the injured animal like a broken rag doll and flew off in the direction of Tara.  
  
Duo watched with a burning sensation in the pit of his stomach, and a lump in his throat. Then darkness flooded his senses.  
  
  
***********************  
  
Heero felt that unfamiliar feeling of panic again as the soldiers searched the area for the two immortals. They had heard the inhuman cries from the rendezvous point and automatically assumed that they had been attacked by demons.   
The worried feeling that surfaced in Heero was uncomfortable, because it was the one thing he couldn't understand. Was he worried for the integrity of the team if he lost the immortal? No, that wasn't it. He would have carried on regardless of losing a member.  
  
He glanced over momentarily at Trowa and Wufei. The Asian looked no different than usual, but Trowa's face was pale and his eyes reflected fear. Heero had always considered the auburn-haired soldier his most dependable ally. But his true unpredictability showed when he fell in love with Quatre. His whole personality had undergone a rapid change that Heero scorned, but secretly envied. A pained moan jolted the Fenian out of his self-reflection.  
  
Underneath the bushes, Duo was sprawled on his back. His long, honey-colored hair streamed out like a blanket underneath him, and his angelic face was relaxed. Heero would have stood back and admired him, but his leadership qualities kicked in and told him to pay attention to Duo's serious head injuries.   
  
"I've found Duo!"  
  
"But where's Quatre?"  
  
Heero noticed Trowa standing at the edge of the forest, in the wasteland. After loading Duo's body onto Wing, he walked over to Trowa to see what he was looking at.  
  
A deep pool of blood, soaking into the sand, surrounded by matted silver-white feathers.  



	13. Chapter 13

The Cathach

Chapter 13

All right, here's the next Chapter, after suffering setbacks from Fanfiction.net's breakdown, a crashing Fujitsu and writer's block. Usual Warnings, usual disclaimer.

**************************************************************************************

The first thought that entered Duo's head when he came to was that he had a headache. The second was that he was moving. The third was that someone was holding him. With tremendous effort he opened his eyes to see the owner of the strong arms that enveloped him…Heero?

Sure enough, he was half-sitting, half-lying across Wing in Heero's arms. What the heck was going on? He opened his mouth to ask for an explanation, but his query came out less articulate than he had hoped.

" Whaaaa…..?"

Heero called out to the others, which sounded like a foghorn in Duo's battered mind. Heero lifted the injured faerie off of the horse with surprising gentleness and laid him down in a clump of soft grass. Duo stared at the sky, it was dark but with the first light fingers of dawn approaching them. He thought it was strange, before he had closed his eyes it had just about turned noon…

Before he had closed his eyes?

Quatre!

An image of the griffon carrying off his friend fired its way into Duo's mind. He sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain in his head, and looked around for the Alicorn. The entire sequence of events re-enacted itself in the faerie's brain when he realised that Quatre wasn't there. The expressions on the faces of the other soldiers confirmed what had happened. Wufei looked grim and Trowa looked shattered. Heero was staring at Duo solemnly.

" Lie down. You need to rest."

" Go to hell, Heero. Why aren't we looking for Quatre?"

Heero leaned over him and spoke softly.

" Quatre's dead. We found the evidence."

" Where?"

" On the wasteland, where we found you."

" No, he's not dead! I saw them! They carried him off to Tara!"

" Duo…"

" I'd know it if he was dead, Heero! He's alive, I can feel it!"

Trowa got up and walked over to Duo. His face held no emotion, but there was pain in his eyes.

" Tell us what happened."

Duo took a deep breath, closed his eyes and began.

" We were just flying there, and I heard a noise, and when I turned around, there was a griffon coming after us. I tried attacking it, but my spells didn't work against it. Then Quatre tried to escape it, but a whole bunch of 'em came out of nowhere and ganged up on us! Then he got himself injured and…"

He stopped to swallow the lump in his throat.

"…he threw me off of his back before they knocked him out. The last thing I saw was one of them picking him up and flying off towards Tara."

Heero seemed to be deep in thought as he stared in the direction of the town. Finally, he turned to Duo.

" Are you certain that he's alive?"

" I know it!"

" Fine then. We hide out in Tara for a few days, infiltrate the castle and see what we can find. We won't go for Treize until we find out what's happened to Quatre."

Duo nodded gratefully, and Trowa looked relieved. Heero loaded the injured faerie back onto Wing and nodded to the other two.

" Let's move out."

**************************************************************************************

The largest griffon, the one with the bat's wings , sniffed at the unconscious Alicorn's back legs as another, the one with dirty feathered wings, lapped at the blood that trickled from his face. Treize tried to ignore them, but it was difficult. The sooner Une got rid of them, the better. Whatever they had planned for the immortal, it would certainly be better than leaving him to those savage creatures.

Finally, Une entered the chamber with a large sack.

" So brief me on our plans, Lady Une."

" Certainly, sir. I will combine the corrupted soul of a demon with the life force of the immortal. If it works, you will have a number of demons with much more power than their predecessors who will obey your commands without hesitation."

" Straight to the point, Lady. Very good. How many demons will you be able to take from it?"

" It's very young, sir. I'd say six or seven at the most."

" Excellent. That's plenty. What about the souls, who shall you be getting them from?"

She gestured towards the griffons, and Treize smiled. He'd be glad to get rid of them.

" Wonderful, Lady Une. I'll let you get to work."

Treize left the chamber and went upstairs. On his way to his personal quarters, he encountered his right hand man, Zechs Marquise, who had just marched his troops back home after the battle at Glendalough.

" Good evening, Zechs. I heard the battle was a success."

" It was, your Majesty."

" No need for such formalities between us, my friend. All of the opposing troops were killed?"

" All but four."

" Four? This is disturbing news."

" It's not worth worrying over, Treize."

" It takes one man to rule a kingdom, Zechs. It takes another to make trouble for that man. Four men could cause a lot of trouble for me. Have minute guards stationed all over the castle."

**************************************************************************************

The griffons looked up at the eerie sound of lady Une's voice, chanting a spell from a thick book. A sense of terror spread through the group as they chattered uneasily. The nervous chatters became horrified shrieks as five of the griffons suddenly exploded into white flames. The remaining seven felt their skin and bones crumble around them, leaving nothing but their sludgy black spirits, which they were unable to move.

The Alicorn, heavily drugged, was suspended by chains above a pool of water. One of the souls was dragged by some unseen force into the pool and held still while Lady Une removed the bodies of a pig, a dog and a goat from her sack. With a long knife, she slit the throats of the animals and drained the blood into the pool. The blood seemed to take on a life of its own, throbbing and pulsing it covered the griffon's soul. With the same knife, Une made a small incision into the neck of the Alicorn and allowed the blood to drip into the pool. Likewise, she carved of a section of Quatre's horn and plucked three feathers from his wings, and added these to the mixture.

The pool glowed first a deep crimson, then shining gold, and then obsidian black. Something stirred from the depths, and then the water drained away to reveal a new creature. It resembled a horse, with huge metallic hooves and a bloody red mane and tail. Its body was thick and muscled, and covered with coarse black fur. Two bat's wings sprouted from its back, and a hagged metal horn jutted out between it's fiery red eyes.

Smiling, Une patted its back as if it were a puppy, then prepared the pool for the next soul.


	14. Chapter 14

The Cathach 

The Cathach

Chapter 14

Finally, I'm gonna update this. After weeks of writer's block and then college, I neglected this fic. Same warnings and disclaimer.

Duo scowled as he watched Trowa and Wufei leave from his bed. Heero was staying behind to make sure he didn't try to sneak out and help them infiltrate the castle. He'd been halfway out the window when they'd come in to discuss the plan with him, so now he was stuck with his Captain babysitting him like a small child.

Heero wasn't too put out by his duty, though. Wufei had worked as a soldier in Tara before so he knew the castle inside and out, and Trowa wanted to be there when they found his lover. Duo was sulking, an added bonus, he refused to jabber away lightheartedly the way he usually did.

Despite the fact that Duo refused to talk to the dungeon master, he hated being ignored. His best death-glares didn't even get a raised eyebrow from Heero. The faerie rubbed his bandaged temples and sighed. Until they found Quatre, it was going to be a long night.

A small grey rat scuttled along the iron hinges of the portcullis and leaped into a tunnel carved out by the vermin. Its sharp nose picked up several scents; rotten food, other rats, human waste, dogs, spices and medicines, and beyond the earthy castle aroma the indescribable scent of an immortal. The rat passed several other rats unharmed although it was not quite one of them. Instead of the demon-red eyes of a normal rat, this one had bright green eyes.

Along with the ability to communicate with animals, Trowa could merge momentarily with them. It was a technique he rarely used, if one spent too long in the body of another the souls would blend and either the animal spent an eternity in the human's body or the human lived for the rest of his days as an animal. But this was an emergency.

The rat followed the scent of the immortal, almost overpowered by the rotten stench of demons nearby. For a moment the rat's instincts took over and it was ready to dive into another tunnel, but Trowa's resolve to find his beloved overpowered it. Soon enough a tunnel lead the rodent into a dark room, covered with red and black tapestries and with a six-pointed star cut into the roof to let the moon cast its glow into the chamber. An alchemist's chamber, but unlike any Trowa had ever seen. Animal's heads hung like chandeliers, with candles in their gaping jaws. Blood and creature's waste stained the floor; even the rat was reluctant to walk around. The pool of water directly below the star was pitch black, and dangling from chains above it was…

Quatre!

Battered, bleeding and bedraggled, but alive. With one last glance at the Alicorn, Trowa returned his soul to his own body. The rat's eyes became red again, and it ignored its initial uneasiness to raid Une's supply of herbs.

" Take this medicine."

" Bite me."

" I said, take this medicine."

" I said, bite me."

" That's no way to talk to your captain."

" So fire me. Or bite me. Your choice. If I leave, I'm going with Quatre. I've gotten him into enough trouble."

The worst thing about being stuck in this bed wasn't Heero hovering over him, or the pain in his head. It was that it gave him time to think, and feel guilty. If it hadn't been for Duo, Quatre could have been living peacefully in the forest the way he had before meeting the faerie. Instead he was dragged into a human conflict he barely understood, stabbed, attacked, and now captured. Once they found him the Alicorn was going back to the forest, where he belonged. If they found him.

" It's not your fault."

Duo looked up in surprise. Heero's eyes were strangely compassionate. When he wasn't shooting deathglares, he had beautiful eyes, Duo mused, then shook himself. What was he thinking?

" It is my fault. He was trying to save me when he was captured."

" Would you have done the same for him?"

" Yes, of course!"

" And would you want Quatre to feel guilty about you?"

Heero really had a way of putting things in perspective.

" I…no."

A small weight was lifted from Duo's mind. And it released a wave of pain. Duo clutched his head and groaned, until Heero leaned forward and laid a cool hand on his forehead. They were looking directly into each other's eyes, and then Duo closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to Heero's. It took less than a second for Heero to regain composure and swipe his tongue along Duo's bottom lip. Both mouths opened for the other's tongues, Heero's arms wrapped around Duo's slender middle and they laid back on the bed. After a few minutes like this, Duo felt very drowsy. Heero kissed his forehead gently and the faerie fell asleep in his arms.

Wufei, dressed in his old Tara uniform walked confidently through the castles winding corridors, while Trowa followed silently in the shadows. Amazingly, they weren't stopped by anyone. Most of the castle's occupants assumed that Wufei just returned to service. Word hadn't gotten out that he was fighting for the other side.

Very few people had ever seen Treize's witch, and even less knew where her workshop was. Only herself and Treize had ever been inside. Luckily, Wufei was one of the few who did know of it, because when he had been a soldier in Tara he had been a personal acquaintance of Treize's. The Fianna didn't question the nature of his relationship with Treize and his reasons for switching sides, but Trowa could see he wasn't delighted to be back.

Eventually, they reached the door of the room, at the top of the North Tower. A demon with ruby eyes peered out menacingly at them from its frame in the door. The door itself was heavy oak, but Trowa knew that all the rat's tunnels running through it made it brittle. The cracked an entrance large enough for them to enter, and while Wufei kept a lookout, Trowa ran to his lover's side.

Trowa tried desperately to revive the Alicorn, and was rewarded when blue eyes, hazy with pain, slowly opened. He sighed with relief.

" It's me, Quatre. We're leaving now."

The Alicorn's eyes closed again.

" Stay with me, Quatre. Please turn into your human form, or we won't be able to get you out."

Eyes still closed, white light flashed weakly from the prism-like horn, and faded.

" Come on, Quatre. Try harder, please!"

Trowa was starting to panic. Even Wufei was looking over at them worriedly. Slowly, and weakly, the Alicorn's shape contorted and left the human figure hanging from the chains. Relieved, Trowa reached over to gather Quatre into his arms.

His arm went right through the immortal's body.

Quatre's body was almost completely transparent, disappearing in front of them, then filling out again. Sickened, Trowa had to wait until Quatre looked solid enough to hold before untangling him from the chains and wrapping his cloak around the battered little body.

Both boys wasted little time in leaving, Trowa even more careful to hide both himself and Quatre in the shadows. Just a few feet away from the door, Wufei bumped into the one person he didn't want to see.

Treize.


	15. Chapter 15

The Cathach  
  
I forget which Chapter this is. All I know is that it's the next one.  
  
  
  
" Wufei Chang, what a pleasant surprise. I had heard rumors that you returned to our side."  
  
Trowa fought the urge to just kill the man so that he could get his lover to safety. Three times Quatre nearly slipped right through the cloak's material while Wufei and Treize had what seemed like a friendly chat. Or not so friendly. He swore that he could see Wufei's hackles rise as he spoke in a clipped tone to the High King.  
  
" I returned, and now I'm leaving. I had heard that you gained ground in the war with some brilliant plan, but now that I'm here I see little reason to stay."  
  
" Oh, I do have a plan. It's only known to a select group of people."  
  
Treize pulled the Asian soldier closer and talked to him in hushed tones, while Wufei just got more and more annoyed. From where he was, Trowa wondered at the way Treize was holding Wufei, it seemed overly familiar. One hand was on his arm, the other at his waist. Finally, Wufei pulled away and laughed.  
  
" That has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard, Treize! As hare- brained as all your other ideas. I see even less reason to stay now. Goodbye."  
  
" I can't make you stay. I hope you don't plan to betray us."  
  
" Certainly not, Treize. I would never betray someone, especially the way you betrayed me."  
  
Wufei poured venom into that last statement, and Treize flinched visibly, then stalked off down the hall. Wufei hurried over to Trowa in the shadows.  
  
" Come on. He told me what he did with Quatre. We need to get out of here."  
  
" Good. What were you."  
  
" Don't pry, Barton. It's not you."  
  
Gathering their horses, they rode off as fast as they could.  
  
  
  
Duo screamed out Heero's name at the last thrust, and emptied himself onto his Captain's stomach. Heero followed suit, he came inside the faerie with a hoarse cry. They both sank onto the bed, dazed and exhausted. After Duo woke up, he'd admitted his denied feelings to Heero, and found that Heero loved him just as much. What happened then was a blur, they attacked each other and got lost in a sea of euphoria.  
  
Revived, Heero got out of bed and went looking for his clothes.  
  
" Where are my breeches?"  
  
" I ate them in a fit of passion."  
  
" Be serious. The others should be back soon."  
  
" (snicker) I love your ass."  
  
  
  
Heero had to grin. Duo was loud, crass and forward, but all he could feel was loving affection for him.  
  
" You get dressed too. They should be here soon."  
  
" Yes, sir! Hey, Heero?"  
  
" Yes?"  
  
" Now that I'm sleeping with you, does that make me second in command?"  
  
" No."  
  
" Awwww, all that sex for nothing!"  
  
Duo had just finished getting dressed when the others finally arrived. Duo's face turned as white as the moon when he saw his friend.  
  
" What's happening to him? Why is he disappearing?"  
  
" Treize told me that they used his immortal life-force to create seven demons."  
  
" TREIZE told you?"  
  
" Don't ask."  
  
" So what do we do?"  
  
" We don't know, but there's someone who might."  
  
" Well, who?"  
  
" Sally."  
  
  
  
The dragon ushered the soldiers into the cave and got Trowa to lay Quatre down on a bed near the back. Her angular blue eyes narrowed with pity.  
  
" Poor little thing. He's very young for an Alicorn. It doesn't seem fair that he should die now."  
  
" He's DYING?"  
  
Trowa's heart felt like it was about to shatter, and Duo looked ready to kill.  
  
" I'm afraid he is dying. They don't die of blood loss, or hunger, or anything else that a normal creature would suffer. An injury can sap the life force from an Alicorn, and with no others of his kind around, he can't be given strength. He doesn't have a soul, and so he doesn't really have a body either. He'll just fade away into nothing, like the others."  
  
There was a general feeling of complete misery in the group, each Fenian felt responsible in some way for what was happening. Sally took pity on them.  
  
" There may be a way to save him, but it is difficult."  
  
" What is it? We'll do it."  
  
" Hunt down and kill the demons, then bring back some of their blood, a piece of their wing and their horns to me. But it will be impossible for you, fighting against a demon with the strength of an immortal."  
  
Duo grabbed his sword and turned to leave.  
  
" I'll do it. I'm immortal, and it's my fault he's dying. I owe him."  
  
Sally's thick tail stopped him from going.  
  
" As a Tuatha De Danann, you are powerful, but not powerful enough. If you must go, let me do something to help."  
  
" Well, okay. Hurry up."  
  
With a flash of bright yellow light, the dragon contorted and changed her shape into that of a woman. She was statuesque and willowy, the spiraled frills on her head became two fat braids of wheat-blond hair, and she was dressed in what appeared to be a gown of her own dragon skin. She beckoned to Duo, then grabbed his hand and cut quickly into his skin with a claw- like dagger.  
  
" OW! What are you doing, you crazy bitch?"  
  
" Trust me. I can give you the strength of two immortals combined."  
  
She then walked over to the unconscious boy on the bed, and sliced into his palm as well. She gathered a few drops of Quatre's blood on the blade, and held it over Duo's cut.  
  
" This may feel uncomfortable, but it's just your body adapting to the transformation. It will wear off in twenty-four hours."  
  
With that, she let Quatre's blood flow into Duo's palm. As it mingled with the faerie's blood, a strange silver glow surrounded Duo. The symbol on his forehead flashed a shining gold, his braid was run through with gold, silver and white strands. The change was peaceful at first, but all of a sudden a tearing sensation and crippling pain attacked his back and shoulders. The pain died away, and Duo stood up straight.  
  
The result was mystifying and beautiful at the same time. The faerie's lavender eyes shone with silver, his long, silky hair rivaled the sun. But most extraordinary was the pair of enormous, black and silver wings that sprouted from his shoulders. 


End file.
